


The future can't start now

by jestbee



Series: Fic Every Day in June 2018 [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Forever Home, House Hunting, M/M, Moving House
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 13:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14812544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jestbee/pseuds/jestbee
Summary: Dan and Phil are ready for their forever home, but what if their forever home isn't ready for them?





	The future can't start now

**Author's Note:**

> Kicking fedij 18 off with headcanon from my group chat with @charlottekath and @ineverhadmyinternetphase enjoy!

Phil doesn't think it's possible to fall in love with a brochure, but Dan has done it. 

It arrives along with a bunch of others they filled in online request forms for, they barely all fit in their mail slot downstairs because they come in A4 envelopes, gloss-finish card covers with actual pictures of property. 

And then this one, that has an architectural elevation of what it _will_ look like in place of where the photo should be. 

Phil had only requested it to have a look. It won't be ready for another 18 months but Phil is the type of guy that watches home improvement shows and property selling shows and generally watches the London property market. He's just, interested 

This is a new development in their area. It would be a great investment, a chance to get in on the metaphorical ground floor and the literal top one. 

He puts all of the brochures together in a pile on their dining table and watches as Dan looks up from where he's slumped down on their old dented sofa. 

Phil remembers buying that sofa, brand new and something they chose together. It was awfully constructed, of course, but it had been what they could afford and it hadn't really mattered because it was _theirs_. Bought together, mutually owned. 

Now there's a stack of A4 envelopes of potential other things, much much bigger things, they could buy together. 

Dan reaches out an arm towards Phil and towards the table and, most importantly, towards the brochures and says "Gimme gimme." 

Phil obliges. 

Dan's eyes light up and he rips open envelope after envelope. He casts an eye over each one to see which ones Phil has picked. Some of them they'd looked at together online, crammed in next to each other around a tiny laptop screen, Phil scrolling slowly so they could read all about the room dimensions and the nearby facilities. 

Most of them are in different locations to where they currently live, or are older converted buildings like the one they live in now. 

Some are the ultra swanky modern aesthetic that Dan seems to find appealing but mean they have to compromise on number of rooms. None of them are a perfect fit. 

Phil drops down on to the sofa on Dan's other side. Whatever work he'd wanted to do can wait a little bit because Dan looks excited, his eyes are wide and he keeps biting his lip and commenting on the little things. 

"This is nice," he says about one of them.

It's one Phil had picked out by himself and requested at two in the morning while Dan was in the other room. 

Phil holds his hand out for it and Dan passes it over. He looks at the cover and remembers which one it is. 

"Yeah," he says, "But look where it is." 

Dan leans across him to have a look. 

"Oh right." 

"Did you want to stay around here?" Phil asks, even though he's asked before. 

"Don't you?" 

"I do," Phil nods, "It's just... you know, I feel like we have a really specific list of things we want and we might not be able to get all of them." 

Dan hums in understanding. "I am a slave to my impeccable taste," he says. 

Phil rolls his eyes and pretends to be annoyed by it. In truth, he kinds of loves that about Dan. The way he's really in to the details. Sure, his perfectionist streak can sometimes rub him up the wrong way when it comes to him being hard on himself, but for Dan, finding the right place to live is more than just the financial investment. It's the home, the life they're going to build, the place he can see them growing in to, having Christmases in and a dog and... a whole manner of things. 

It's the dream, to Dan, and he won't accept anything less than the whole thing. 

They continue looking at the brochures, commenting on them one by one and discarding them for one reason or another. Until they reach the one Phil hadn't really intended to give Dan at all.

It isn't the last one in the pile, it doesn't look any different from the others or anything as dramatic as all that, it's just one in a the whole pile of them and Dan opens it just like he does any of the others. He looks confused for a moment, a small twitch of his eyebrows. 

"Oh," Phil says, reaching out for it. "I just got that to have a look at. They're not ready until twenty nineteen." 

Dan doesn't pass it over straight away the way he has with the others. He opens it instead, flicking through the glossy pictures and artist renditions and he's got an odd little smile on his face the entire time. 

"Dan?" Phil says when Dan hasn't said anything in a little while. 

"Where--" Dan flicks back to the front cover, "Oh. It's... it's nearby." 

"Yeah." 

"Do they have a showroom?" 

Phil didn't expect to actually go and have a look at it, he'd just been a bit nosy about what they might look like she he's stumbled across their dedicated website, a stylish affair far removed from the mass-market agency search engines. So he'd thought 'why not' and ordered further details. 

It's a new build, a fancy set of modern apartments or penthouses, with rooftop gardens, floor to ceiling windows, even a swimming pool if thats something they want. They hadn't put it on the list of criteria because, why would they, it's London. But, the option is there. 

Along with a whole other myriad of options, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring. All things they could pick together, have the entire place tailored to them before they even moved in. 

It's the dream. The whole of it. It just, doesn't exist yet. 

"Yes," Phil says, "I believe they have like, a show apartment you can visit." 

"Can we?" 

"Yeah," Phil says, fetching his phone from his pocket and leaning over to get the phone number from the front of the brochure. "I'll ring them." 

Dan doesn't let go of the brochure the entire time.

\--

The show flat is perfect. Far more immaculate than any house they lived in would ever be, and there aren't cameras and weird knick knacks crammed into every corner, but it does have that certain something that makes Dan's eyes light up and the dimple pop in his cheek. 

He'd put a shirt on for the occasion and Phil had only teased him for it a little bit. It's endearing, Dan trying to look grown up. But then, it's quite a grown up decision, Phil supposes. 

The lady showing them around is a little scary, as immaculate as the place she's showing them with perfectly painted red fingernails and a platinum blonde bob she tucks behind one ear. She doesn't know how to take them at first, not that they aren't used to that, and she gets a kind of skeptical look on her face when Phil announces they are here for an appointment. 

Then Dan compliments her shoes and says he'd really enjoyed the new collection of whatever designer they are and she'd softens immediately. 

It's a three bed, the one they're looking at. All good sizes, big enough for double beds, with a separate space they can use as an office. Or a wine cellar. Or a gym. 

She rattles off these options and goes back to office once she's scanned their reactions.

"Of course this is just an example of the spec you can expect, we have four or five bedroom spaces as well. How many bedrooms were you thinking?" 

"At least four," Dan says looking into a particularly roomy closet space. "Or five if there isn't a separate office." 

She takes a beat to look at them. Phil doesn't miss the moment she asks herself the question. 

"We work from home," Phil supplies. 

Dan looks up then, slightly defiant, and Phil recognises that look on his face. He's had it more and more lately. Half bravery, half indignation. 

"And we want somewhere we can grow in to," he says, sweet as you like. 

She nods, but apparently Dan thinks she still hasn't got it. Phil suspects he's right and he wouldn't usually care, but it's amusing to watch Dan push it a little. More so than usual. Phil hides his smile by giving the shower another once-over. 

"We might like to start a family in a few years." 

Wow. Phil hadn't expected him to be quite as blunt about it, and apparently neither had she, but she's a complete professional and simply blinks twice, smiles, and tells Dan about the excellent schools nearby. 

Phil feels warm from his chest down to his toes, and it isn't just the under-floor heating. He catches Dan's eye as she leads them to another room and grins. Dan grins back, but can't hold his gaze for too long before he's distracted. 

"Oh," he says happily, "Look Phil, a balcony!" 

Back in the office she gives them more paperwork. There's a fresh copy of the brochure along with some pricing schemes and thicker booklets about the different kitchen and bathroom countertops, taps, sinks, you name it. Phil takes them all in his hands because Dan still has the other one folded up and wrinkled in the back pocket of his jeans. 

\---

They don't directly discuss it beyond acknowledging that it was very very nice, but the pile of papers stay on their coffee table for a little bit and Phil keeps moving them from one side to the other when he wants to put his feet up, or put his coffee down.

Dan doesn't touch the pile of papers, but Phil does catch him looking at the now beat up copy of the brochure they originally requested. This is the point Phil observes that Dan might be in love with the brochure. What he needs to do, he decides, is approach him about it. 

This is mostly because he knows Dan, and Dan is having those slightly negative thoughts where he convinces himself he can't have the things he wants, or worse yet, that he shouldn't want them. 

"I mean, it's only eighteen months," Phil says while they're sat watching some interior design tv show. 

Maybe it's out of nowhere, maybe it's that the couple on the television are picking out carpet samples, but Phil puts the remote down on the table and picks up the shiny fresh copy of the brochure and just holds it in his hand. 

Dan is slumped on the couch next to him, as usual, but he looks up when Phil speaks. He notices the brochure and his eyes go a little wide, but he doesn't say anything. 

"Pros and Cons?" Phil asks.

Dan shifts, turning in his seat and folding his legs underneath himself. He's too tall by quite a bit to be doing this, but their sofa is deep if not well made and while his knees stick out at odd angles, he can actually fit on the seat with his legs crossed like he's in primary school. 

"Con," Dan says, "eighteen months is a long time." 

Phil nods, "Pro, there's nothing saying we can't stay here for eighteen months. We're not about to get kicked out or anything." 

"Con," Dan counters, "This place is shit and I don't want to stay here with the drilling and the cracks in the walls. And storage, Phil. We need some fucking storage." 

"Pro, there are other rental properties in London and eighteen months is three six-month leases long." 

Dan sort of blinks and drops their game. "You'd do that?" 

Phil shrugs. "I mean, it's a good investment. Yeah, yeah, I know, that's not the point but it's true, and it should at least make up the basis of some of our decision. Getting in early means we get a good price and our pick of the apartments." 

"Penthouse," Dan says. 

"Oh," Phil says, a little surprised Dan has thought that far ahead. "Okay." 

Dan reaches over and takes the brochure from Phil, flicking to a page near the back with practised fingers, like he knows exactly where he's going because he's looked at it so much. 

"There," he says, pointing to the schematic of the proposed sites, to one of the penthouse plots specifically.

"That one?" 

"I think so," Dan says. "The outside space seems to be the best arrangement and I think the view will be nice. The windows are facing so that we'd get good sun for most of the day but… what?" 

Phil catches himself because he must have a strange look on his face to make Dan stop talking. 

"Nothing," Phil insists "You really like it. I mean… I knew you liked it, just… you really do." 

Dan tries to play it off like it's nothing, but Phil knows better. His shoulders move in a sort of shrug and he averts his eyes. 

"It's not a bad thing," Phil says. "Look. Let's just… hypothetically. Hypothetically if we wanted to buy this one, the one you want, what would that mean?" 

"The one I want." 

"I don't mean that I don't want it," Phil points out, "I ordered the brochure didn't I?" 

Dan's mouth crooks a little and he nods. "Alright. Hypothetically it would mean waiting eighteen months for it to actually be built. It would mean… staying here or finding another rental property. It would mean moving, twice." 

"All of that is doable," Phil says. 

The brochure is still on Dan's lap between them. It's shiny cover is reflecting the light from the overhead fitting, a yellow circle overtop of the sleek modern picture of each of the apartments and their layouts. Phil looks at the one Dan has chosen and has to admit that, yeah, it's the one he'd have picked too. 

Space on the balcony for some plants, enough rooms for them to have separate filming space and living space. He slides his eyes to the guide prices. It's mostly in budget too, if they get an offer on the lower end of the guide price accepted which, as early adopters they might well do. 

There are no guarantees but hypothetically, they could well buy it.

"Is it?" Dan asks. "One of the things on the list was that we wanted to do this in the next few months. We said… We said no big projects this year because we were doing this and now it's eighteen months? So no big projects for that long and then however long it takes to move, it's going to be two years before we know it and then we risk becoming completely irrelevant and passing up on great opportunities and--" 

"Dan," Phil says. "You're doing that thing." 

"What thing?" 

"That thing where you… you know, make everything like the worsest possible thing it could be." 

"Catastrophizing," Dan supplies. 

"Yes, that."

Dan rolls his eyes. 

"Well you are!" Phil says, laughing a little. "Look, just… shush. We can buy this place, move to another rental, do some projects or whatever in the eighteen months and then move. Simple." 

"Is it? Simple?" 

"Yes!" 

Dan fixes his hair, a absent-minded gesture, something he does when he's not really thinking about his movements. 

"Well, not simple," Phil continues, "We still have to like, _buy a house_ which isn't simple. And we'd have to make all the decisions about all the fixtures and everything." 

Dan leans over to the table where the rest of the stack of papers about the property are and picks up the thicker brochure with all the options in. 

"I had some thoughts about that actually…." 

They sit there for the next few hours and Dan points out swatch after swatch, Phil mostly agrees or he doesn't care enough to have an opinion, or he relents because the look in Dan's eyes is just excited enough for him to care more about that than he does whatever it is they are choosing. 

They get swept along with it, the promise of the house and the options and making it their own. They dream big, talking in hypotheticals until they aren't really any more. Somewhere around two in the morning they both seem to realise. 

"We gunna do it then?" Dan asks. 

"I'll call them tomorrow with the offer," Phil says. 

When they finally go to bed Dan takes the brochure with him, and it sits on their bedside table until morning. 

\---

Phil changes his property searches the next day. He rings and puts the offer in and waits for the response. 

He's talking to their solicitor about something else anyway so he lets her know he's put an offer in on a property and she agrees to represent them for the conveyancing as well. That bit, at least, is a little bit simpler. 

He's laying on the bed in Dan's room browsing rental properties in the area and thinks he might have found one when the developers call back. He waves an excited hand at Dan where he is sat on his desk. 

"Thank you for calling me back," he says. 

"Mr Lester," she says. It's the same woman that showed them round. "I'm calling regarding your offer for one of our penthouses." 

"Yes," Phil says, his heart in his throat. 

Dan has turned around in his chair and he looks like he's holding his breath. 

"I'm pleased to inform you that the developers have accepted your offer," her tone is professional but she sounds happy to be able to give him the news. 

"Oh my god," Phil says. He is not as professional. 

"Next steps will be coming in to talk about your interior choices so we can get the final figure, there's a small down payment to secure the property as is detailed in your paperwork, and you might want to start environmental searches with your solicitor. Obviously a surveyor can come round once the property is actually developed but that won't be for a while yet. We'll aim to exchange contracts with a long lead time on the completion if that works for you? No need to commit to anything just yet of course. If you could send along the name of your solicitor, we'll get the ball rolling." 

"Yes, yes we'll do that. Thank you." 

He wraps up the rest of the phone call and organises when they'll go down to talk about everything a little bit more. 

"Congratulations to you both," she says at the end. 

"Thank you." 

"I hope you'll both be very happy here. You and… any little ones who might come along." 

"Yes, yes I'm sure we will be. Thank you." 

He hangs up, throwing his phone down on the bed while Dan stares at him relentlessly. 

Phil scrambles off the end of the mattress, getting tied up in his own limbs and stumbling ungracefully off the end, falling down to pull Dan up to him and crush him with a hug. 

"They accepted the offer!" he says. His voice is ridiculous and he's being far too loud but he doesn't care. 

"Holy fucking shit," Dan says. 

"We're going to be home owners, Dan!"

"Shit," Dan repeats, and hugs him back, tight. 

Phil kisses him, half sweet half fierce with unrestrained excitement. This is it. The beginning of their future, of everything that is to come. 

"I think I've found a rental, too," Phil says. "Come look." 

They call for a viewing on the rental flat the next day, and they move in about a month later. There's a bit of an overlap with their old lease that allows them to do it slowly, to drop hints and introduce the idea online as something that's happening. 

They film the old place, they say goodbye as well as good riddance and then it's done. They're out and on to better things. 

"This isn't a forever home," Day says. Wearing soft pink and flushed with the exertion of moving boxes all day. 

It isn't the forever home, Phil thinks. The forever home isn't built yet and it's still a long way off but it's theirs. Eighteen months. Eighteen months for one last big adventure maybe, something spectacular before they settle down a little bit. Before the next phase of their life starts. 

It's all waiting for them. 

The brochure gets put in a new bedside drawer. In a room with a mirror shaped like the moon. 

"If I have to live in another rental I can't decorate how I want completely," Dan says when Phil gripes about how much it costs, "then I'm buying a fancy mirror." 

"Fine," Phil says, "Then before we move into the fancy house where your aesthetic tyranny will reign, I'm buying something too." 

They're buoyant with the knowledge of something more permanent. A place waiting to be tailored specifically to them. For now it's white walls and grey furniture that came with the place. Dan gets his mirror and acts suitably appalled at the golden pig Phil places in their living room. 

It isn't a forever home, but it doesn't need to be. That comes next.


End file.
